SANTA FOUND US!!!

Well, it came as no surprise that our girls were good enough this year (well mostly) that Santa made sure to stop in at our house! Christmas Eve the girls opened up a present from Mom and Dad--PJ's and then settled in on getting ready for Santa!

Mae LOVED her jammies!
So did Lu...

We "recycled" some cookies from a friend for Santa, as well as some milk and carrots and water for the reindeer...Mae even had to color a picture so Santa new it was from her!

Pretty huh?

"The stockings were hung..." (Oh and I just have to point out--I made these stockings!)

***CHRISTMAS MORNING***

The girls were just a little confused when we woke them up in the morning!

Lu wasn't quite so sure what she was supposed to be doing...

Mae dove right in!

Lu's favorite part of the whole morning was the candy cane!

After the candy cane--Lu was trying to eat everything!

Silly Lu and her funny faces!

...and yet again--Miss Personality herself!

And for the GRAND FANALE--Mae had told Santa that she wanted a "purple" baby doll and Lu wanted a "pink" baby doll (thank goodness for big sisters!) and SANTA DELIVERED!!!

For sis too!

What a WONDERFUL Christmas we had with our girls! Best Christmas EVER!!! I love my family soooooo much and could ask for nothing more than them for Christmas!

Coonradt Christmas

Well, I am finally getting around to posting Christmas...First Take: Coonradt Christmas! We did Christmas a few days early this year at Nana and Papa's and as always--IT WAS A HIT!!! We had gone on an early Christmas cruise and that was supposed to be our Christmas--but low and behold-- there was a HUGE pile of presents waiting for us! Mae got REALLY excited to see all the presents...
Can you tell???

All the grandkids patiently waiting to open presents...

Mae and her new "princess" nightgown

And her "Mr. Grinch!"--She was obsessed with that show this Christmas!

Lu reading her new book!

She is feelin' it...

Lu wanted to climb right in the blox with her new toy! We had to pry her away to get her to open some more presents!

This is Mae's-- I don't really want to look at you, but does this count? look...

And FINALLY I get her attention to LOOK at me...There, you happy mom???

Kisses for her new dolly!

Lu in her new CUTE, CUTE, CUTE hat--showing off her caterpillar!

Mae thought she was such a big girl in her new scarf!

What a great Christmas we had with our Nana and Papa--those stinkers! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Mae's 1st Dance Recital!!!

On Monday the 20th Mae had her first dance recital! We didn't know how she'd do because sometimes she gets really scared in front of people and crowds--but she did SOOOOOO good! They danced to "How much is that doggy in the window" and she took her little puppy up with her, smiled and danced the whole song! It was THE CUTEST thing I've ever seen!

I'm love my little ballerina and am sooooooooo proud of her! GOOD JOB MAE-MAE!!!

Dance class Christmas Party

Mae's awesome dance class had a Christmas party the week before and Mae had SUCH a good time--as evident from the picture below... They did face painting and Mae got a Christmas tree and she was THRILLED!

Kenna's in the earlier class and she got one too!

Then each class got to decorate their own gingerbread house and the girls were sooooooo excited about it! Most of them did pretty good actually decorating, but Mae couldn't stop eating all the candy--keep in mind this same child puked earlier that morning I think because of all the JUNK she ate at our ward Christmas party the night before...

and yet, she couldn't stop!

Mae had such a good time at her dance class party!

Photo op--SANTA!

Our ward had a Christmas Party and since I'm in the Primary Presidency and had to do a lot of planning for it, and who could pass up an opportunity to see Santa--the Coonradt family was there will bells on! Mae was sooooooooo excited to go to the party and was making friends with all the Primary kids. She even got up on stage with the Primary kids to sing a few of the Christmas songs she knows--"Jingle Bells" and "Santa Claus is coming to Town!" BUT when the BIG moment came--I think with all the rushing and commotion to find Santa, she kinda freaked out...So I was lucky enough to sit with my girls on Santa's lap! Lu couldn't tear her eyes away from him--but was totally okay with the bearded man! Mae calmed down towards the end of our visit enough to tell him what she AND Lucy wanted because after all, that's what big sisters are for! I couldn't ask Santa for anything better than these TWO!

Date with DADDA!!!

A few weeks ago, Mae and her Dadda went on their first offical date! He took her out to McDonalds' (pretty much her FAVORITE place in the whole wide world!) and then to "Yogi Bear!" Although she didn't make it very far through the movie (she told me she "didn't like it") she had a GREAT time with her Dadda and kept saying how "lucky" she is--which I TOTALLY agree with! I love these two!
She was dying to leave and these pictures mom was taking were killing her!

It's the most WONDERFUL time of the year!

In all festive-ness, we decided to document the Coonradt home decorating for the main event...Mae, of course, was SUPER excited and REALLY into it! Lu was more of a hinderance (a couple broken bulbs and then a full out tantrum when we wouldn't let her break any more), but we'll take her any way we can!

Mae took the decorating of the tree VERY seriously!

At least Lu liked to eat the decorations!

The finished product--adorned with the angel Great-Great Grandma made--Mae made sure we used that at the top rather than a star!

...........oh, and we are all REALLY into the Grinch right now...Ok, maybe not so much me and Coby, but the girls are making sure it is in full force!

I'm sooooooo excited for Christmas this year with the girls! I can't wait to see what Santa brings them...Mae has decided she wants a "purple baby" and that Lucy needs a "pink baby"--take careful note Santa!